Bethel Everyday Hero: Jim Reynolds

Do you know someone making a difference in our community? Patch wants to tell their story in a new series we’re calling “Everyday Heroes.” We are looking to share inspirational and uplifting stories of people who work to change others’ lives for the better.

Today’s Everyday Hero is Jim Reynolds of Bethel. The nomination was sent in by his student Camryn Walsh.

”Jim Reynolds was a teacher in Bethel Middle School. He retired this year after 40+ years of teaching young minds. Mr. Reynolds taught a subject most people still do not comprehend fluently, science. He loves his plants, as he had a whole forest in his classroom, and loves the subject of gardening. Not only would he spend hours at home correcting papers and trying to come up with ways to teach adolescents, he would teach from his heart. Most students would perceive Mr. Reynolds as a strict teacher, but he is a strict teacher because he cares about each and every individual he lays eyes on. Mr. Reynolds truly exhibits the “tough love” concept as he shows it to every individual, besides his grand daughter.

Mr. Jim Reynolds was a teacher who was no ordinary teacher. There are the teachers who teach just for profit, those who just love to teach, and then those who create life-long lessons. Every day, Mr. Reynolds would find some way to tie his lesson into life. Whether it would be lecturing the class about ignorance, or convincing the class Newton’s Laws were fun to study, there would be at least one sentence that made students learn life lessons. All of his little pep talks in homeroom about why kindness matters, and all of the interruptions during tests to explain a lesson about life, were all from his heart full of care.

Each and every student took something from his mini counseling sessions. There was never a day where he would not think about how to change a child’s life for the better. A quote he said will never be forgotten. Mr. Reynolds interrupted the class and said, “You know what brightened up my day? A parent told me all about what I taught their son/daughter. It doesn’t make me any happier to hear that I actually taught that kid something they will never forget.” This quote shows how much he cares for everyone and how much he cares to know that he made a difference in someone’s life. Mr. Reynolds is a teacher that will never be forgotten.”

Do you know someone who is an “Everyday Hero?” Nominate them by following the instructions below.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Name of Everyday Hero
2. Your relationship to the nominee
3. Details of good work done or being done
4. Why do you feel is this person an Everyday Hero?

Email your answers, along with a jpeg photo, to wendy.mitchell@patch.com and your Everyday Hero could be featured!